Joseph and Alston sent home from New England Revolution pre-season

New England Revolution have sent captain Shalrie Joseph and defender Kevin Alston home from pre-season camp for disciplinary reasons.

New England Revolution have sent captain Shalrie Joseph and defender Kevin Alston home from pre-season camp for disciplinary reasons.

Both players appeared in a practice match against the University of Central Florida on Friday but were nowhere to be seen at training on Sunday.

Although it hasn’t been revealed exactly why the duo were sent packing, comments made by head coach Steve Nicol indicated that Joseph and Alston were being penalized.

“It’s not ideal, but everyone is professional here and you don’t want any of your teammates not to be here,” Nicol told the Boston Globe. “But, at the same time, everyone is a good pro and, at the end of the day, you blow the whistle and roll the ball out and you play. That’s the main concern.

“It’s preseason and guys have worked hard to get ready for [today’s] game. A lot of guys are going for a contract and the only thing we have to concentrate on is, we have to decide who’s going to get a contract and who’s not. And we’ve got to try and get some good things out of the game.”

It will be interesting to see what the problem is as Joseph participated in MLS’ behavioral and substance abuse program last year. Nicol said he was undecided if the midfielder would retain the captaincy.

“At the end of the day we’re looking for everyone to step up. I’m a believer that it’s not just one guy who’s captain. We need everyone to step up, that’s what you look for in preseason,” he added.

“Absolutely, it’s my call [who will be captain]. The good thing is I can decide when I want.”